ISRAELI PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN UNDER SCUDS - A 30-MONTH FOLLOW-UP

Objective: Longitudinal studies of children exposed to traumatic event s show contrasting findings regarding their symptomatic change over ti me. The present study reports on a 30-month follow-up of preschool chi ldren and their mothers who had been exposed to Scud missile attacks. Method: Families displaced during the Gulf War after their homes had b een damaged by the missile attack and a control group whose homes rema ined intact were interviewed about posttraumatic and general symptomat ology, the mothers' capacity to control images, and the children's ada ptive behavior. Results: Stress symptoms decreased in the displaced ch ildren but not in their mothers. Both reported more posttraumatic symp toms than did the control group. No differences in the children's adap tive behavior were observed. Posttraumatic symptoms of the displaced c hildren correlated with the mothers' avoidant symptoms. The mothers' a voidant symptoms at follow-up were statistically explained by the moth ers' symptoms during the war and their capacity for image control, the duration of displacement, and the cohesion of the family. Conclusions : The maternal stress-buffering capacity constitutes a central element in children's protective matrix and is crucial in minimizing long-ter m internal suffering of traumatized preschool children.